Schaffer Dental ExcellenceAppointments: (858) 481-1148

Robert Schaffer D.D.S.

Schaffer Dental Excellence

San Diego area cosmetic dentist Robert Schaffer, D.D.S. has extensive experience creating beautiful smiles. They're one of the first things people notice about you.

Our professional team will be happy to discuss your aesthetic dentistry options. The attractive results you'll get from Schaffer Dental Excellence can change your life!

San Diego area dentist Dr. Robert Schaffer offers dental payment plans so you can afford the treatment you need. Just talk with our friendly team about your needs.

We'll be happy to work with you to find the solution that fits your situation. We're committed to making your oral health a reality.

If you're looking for dentures that look great and last, look no further than Schaffer Dental Excellence located in the San Diego, CA area. Robert Schaffer, D.D.S. will assess your needs and fit you with durable, comfortable, natural-looking dentures - at a price you can afford.

If you prefer home teeth whitening for convenience, set up an appointment with Robert Schaffer, D.D.S. at his practice in the San Diego, CA area. You'll be able to whiten your teeth in the privacy of your home, and on your own schedule, even while you watch television or read a book. You'll be very pleased with the results of Dr. Schaffer's natural home tooth whitening process.

Would you like a whiter smile right now? In the San Diego, CA area, Schaffer Dental Excellence offers in-office tooth whitening for quick results. Dr. Robert Schaffer applies a bleaching solution to your teeth which is then accelerated by a high-intensity light. Teeth can often be whitening in one or two one-hour sessions - perfect if you're looking for a quick and easy way to brighten up your smile.

San Diego Sleep Apnea CentersAppointments: (858) 568-8941

Gary Sigafoos D.D.S.

San Diego Sleep Apnea Centers

Gary Sigafoos, D.D.S., in the San Diego area accepts Delta Dental® insurance. Our experienced team at San Diego Sleep Apnea Centers will file your insurance claim for you.

We want your dental treatment to be affordable for you. We're committed to helping you maintain your life-long oral health.

If you need gum disease treatment, San Diego area gum disease dentist, Dr. Sigafoos offers extensive experience. Unhealthy gums can be a risk factor for more serious health problems if not treated promptly.

Our professional team will assess your situation and create a personalized treatment plan. We're committed to your life-long healthy gums and teeth.

Dr. Sigafoos has extensive experience providing gingivitis treatments in the San Diego area. Bleeding gums can lead to more serious health problems if not treated promptly.

Our friendly, professional team will evaluate your needs and design a personal treatment plan. We'll help you have healthy gums and teeth for life.

San Diego area dentist Dr. Gary Sigafoos offers dental payment plans so you can afford the treatment you need. Just talk with our friendly team about your needs.

We'll be happy to work with you to find the solution that fits your situation. We're committed to making your oral health a reality.

At San Diego Sleep Apnea Centers we offer a range of treatment options for sleep apnea. If snoring or obstructed breathing is a problem, call Dr. Sigafoos today to learn how we can help you breathe easier.

Left untreated, sleep apnea can cause serious health problems, so contact us now to schedule an examination.

Implant Dentistry Gives You Better Fitting Denture Implants

The art and science of implant dentistry has advanced rapidly during recent years and new techniques and materials have greatly improved our ability to replace missing tissues with functional and natural-looking artificial prostheses called dentures implants. However, it must be remembered from the outset that no prosthesis or artificial substitute will ever function as well as the original living tissues. Research has shown that the chewing efficiency of experienced denture patients is, at best, less than 20% as efficient as the average chewing efficiency of patients with natural teeth.

Why Is the Lower Complete Denture So Hard to Wear?

Both upper and lower dentures are retained in the mouth by an intimately close fit of the plastic denture base to the gums. The intimately close fit is achieved by a combination of muscle control and suction. Mastering the function of the lower denture is more difficult than learning to use an upper complete denture. By comparison, the lower denture has less stable tissue with which to rest on than the upper denture. The lower denture stays in place largely due to the ability of the denture wearer to control their tongue well enough to hold the denture down while they speak and chew. Therefore, lack of tongue coordination in a lower complete denture wearer can severely affect the patient's ability to wear a lower complete denture.

Bone Loss and Complete Dentures

For various reasons, teeth have to be removed. After tooth removal, the residual bone that is used to support the teeth will then shrink away quite rapidly over the first year because the body knows that the residual bone is no longer needed. The greatest amount of shrinkage occurs during the first year after tooth removal. Research has shown that wearing dentures will accelerate jawbone shrinkage. As the shrinkage of the jawbone support progresses over time, new dentures will need to be fabricated in approximately six to ten years. Because each denture wearer is unique, sometimes the internal surface of the denture needs to be readapted to the gum tissues. This procedure is called a reline.

Lower Complete Dentures and Denture Implants

Some patients are never able to adapt to functioning day-to-day with their complete dentures. Many of these patients do not have adequate bone to stabilize a lower denture. Others never develop enough muscle coordination to learn to chew with their dentures. For many years, dentistry had nothing more to offer patients other than a denture adhesive. Today, such problems can often be managed through the use of implant dentistry. Even with as few as two dental implants, the retention and stability of a lower denture can be greatly increased with denture implants. In fact, the chewing efficiency can also be greatly increased. Some patients have estimated that they regained up to 70% of their original chewing capacity. Overall, patients feel more confident when they are in public because they no longer fear that their dentures will slip or cause them embarrassment with denture implants.

By Benjamin O. Watkins, III, DDS

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.

Learn how you can find the best implant dentistry in your area.

When the concept of dental implants and the mechanisms in which they work were introduced to mainstream dentistry during the late 1970's, the advent of dental implants opened up an excitingly new chapter in dentistry.

Through the 1980's, the news of the successful procedure of dental implant surgery spread at an explosive rate. It took approximately ten years of repeated long-term success for the procedure to gain validity.

By the early 1990's dentists readily accepted implant dentistry as an adequate and routine substitute for missing teeth in all areas of the mouth.

Restoring dental implants has undergone a paradigm shift from simply validating that dental implants work to recreating missing teeth with a chameleon-like effect. Even though implants can be restored with a very high degree of success, one of the most difficult and critical areas in the mouth to achieve great esthetic results is in the upper front jaw -- specifically when replacing a single upper central incisor tooth.

Single-tooth implant dentistry present dentists with unique challenges. When a single central incisor tooth is removed due to periodontal disease, tooth decay, trauma, or nerve failure, the body responds by shrinking the bone and gum tissue in place of the missing tooth. The body no longer needs the supporting bone structure; therefore, the bone is decreased and the gum tissue shrinks because of bone resorption.

In order to achieve a natural appearance to the final restoration, restorative dentists must attempt to replace what nature he as taken away. An unnatural appearance will be the result if the tooth is replaced without considering augmenting or "plumping up" the support structures. It would be like placing a great painting in the wrong frame, thus having a diminished outcome.

Achieving Esthetic Implant Dentistry with Crowns

Certain steps are necessary to achieve a successful outcome, especially in the most demanding implant cases, like replacing a single upper front tooth. Before the decision to place an implant is made, patients should know the sequential steps.

The process starts with a thorough exam. Clinically, dentists should examine the affected area and the entire mouth. A comprehensive exam of the bone and soft tissues must be performed along with taking specific X-rays and possibly detailed bone scans to identify any potential complications.

An analysis of your smile should also be performed. Do your teeth and gums show when you smile? Does your upper lip drape over your teeth? If the patient has a high lip line that shows teeth and gums, the need for bone and soft tissue grafting may be necessary.

By discussing several of the aspects necessary for implant treatment, you can be more aware of the possibilities, as well as the limitations, associated with implant dentistry. Armed with various soft and hard tissue grafting techniques, ceramic material advancements, and better dental implant components, dentists are able to satisfy even the most esthetically-minded patients.

By Benjamin O. Watkins, III, DDS

+Jim Du Molin is a leading Internet search expert helping individuals and families connect with the right dentist in their area. Visit his author page.